The silence that followed Matteo's words was suffocating.
Only the crackling of the fire along with sound of everyone's breathing echoed in the whole room.
Emma shifted in my arms clearly not liking the tension in the air. Her little fingers tightening on my sleeve.
I pulled her closer as if holding her was the only thing which would make me calm while watching all this drama unfolding.
Edward sat rigid, his shoulders were straight, but his face was grim.
Sophia stared at him for a long while, disbelief etched into every line of her face. She looked as if someone had just stolen the ground from beneath her feet.
Finally, she found her voice, though it came out in a shaky whisper, "Why did not you tell me, Edward? Why would you hide something this… this huge?"
Edward's hand twitched against his knee, his lips pressing together before he replied, "Because I wanted us to live without it. Without this name, without its weight. I thought I could leave it behind."
